Western Expansion DBQThroughout the first half of the nineteenth century, many Americans considered the lands west of the Mississippi as the "Great American Desert" and unfit for civilization. However, by the mid-1840s, migrants from the eastern United States transformed this vast desert into a fruitful land awaiting settlement and civilization known as the frontier. The development of the frontier was the result of the mass population of the many different regions of the far West. These regions were diverse in climate as well as in natural resources and, as a result, attracted different types of settlers (Doc I). The wide-ranging natural landscape of the far West offered promising lifestyles to those who chose the occupations of farmers, cattle ranchers, and miners. These groups helped to develop the western United States into a thriving, economic metropolis (Doc D). Farming quickly became a popular occupation for migrants from the eastern United States. Farming originally became an attractive occupation because of the successful cultivation of the Great Plains. Settlers were attracted by the short grass pastures for cattle and sheep, the sod of the plains, and by the meadowlands of the mountains that could be found in this region. An influx in rainfall after the 1870s turned the formerly barren plains into workable farmland. The initial journey westward for farmers was by wagon or cart. These journeys were often very difficult and dangerous (Doc E). Climate and the threat of territorial Native Americans in the West made the journeys last for long, grueling months (Doc H). Also, the idea of the farmer's lifestyle was that of the sturdy, independent farmer. However, as drought and debt plagued the farmlands of the Great Plains in the late nineteenth century, fewer farmers sought to be independent and more sought to be commercial (Doc C). The lifestyle of the commercial farmer was reasonably better and less self-sufficient than that of the independent farmer;...

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...Yuta Ogawa
Segal, Samantha
US History I Honors
May 17, 2010
Westward ExpansionDBQ
Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States of America had the destiny of expanding across North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This terms meaning has changed and been misused over the years. It was used as a justification for the Mexican War, and eventually was led to believe that it was to expand slavery. The main purpose of Manifest Destiny was not to expand the institution of slavery but of expanding economy, expanding territories, and mostly nationalism. The expansion of slavery was a mere consequence of the otherwise successful Manifest Destiny.
Money runs the world. There is no doubt that acquiring resources and expanding a nation is necessary for the existence of a country. Americans realized this and was in dire need of expanding. Expanding lands offer many more resources and more room for the population. With more resources comes more wealth, which is what the expansion offered. “Across the Plains in a Prairie Schooner” by Catherine Haun (Document G) describes the “gold fever” which took over the nation. The US was in a “period of national hard times” and many moved towards California in hopes of finding gold. This supports the fact that expansion was for gaining wealth and not for spreading the institution of slavery.
Immigrants came to discover new lands for many reasons...

...November-18-2014
Expanding West
During the 1800s, the federal government promoted westward expansion in a variety of ways. This expansions changed the shape and character of the country. The United states first started with very small property back then they were call the 13 colonies which to begin with was not as strong as it is today, if anything it was a lot weaker and had little to rely on. Through time it was able to make it ways into gaining more territory. You may ask how they did they do this? since the president can’t actually buy land because it’s not for sale. To be honest and precise it wasn’t all easy for the United States to expand from its original 13 colonies to todays 50 states because it brought a lot of negative effects.
One of the method the United States used to gain more territory, or to expand was by purchasing territory. The united stated actually made 2 purchase; one of those purchase was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 which was bought from the French. You may be wondering what where the negative effect of buying these territory? When the United States bought Louisiana it gain full accuses to the Mississippi river which was a good thing for exporting goods actually because so it increased trade. It also doubled its size which encourage the exploration of Louise and Clark, and as well more expansion toward the west. Here comes the negative part according to document 2 it...

...WesternExpansionWesternexpansion affected the lives of Native Americans during the time period between 1860 and 1890 for many reasons such as Indian Reservations and restrictions, military conflicts, and assimilation. The federal government played a role in affecting the lives of Native Americans. Westernexpansion changed the lives for the whites living in America as well as the non-whites (Native Americans) living in America. Westernexpansion brought conflict to the Native Americans. The Wounded Knee Massacre and the Sand Creek Massacre were examples of this. Indians did not agree with the governments and White American’s way of life and the way they treated them.
The United States Government was beginning to take control of the lives of the Native Americans. The federal government forced Most Native American tribes to live in certain areas and manage the land. These areas are called Indian reservations. Some tribes were paid small portion money by the government for living in these areas as requested. The amount of pay was usually a small amount and the Native Americans almost always ended up using and spending the money on buying food and supplies from White American traders. The Indians did not agree with the governments and White American’s way of life and the way they treated them. The Wounded Knee Massacre was the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment...

...In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased the territory of Louisiana from the French government for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to New Orleans, and it doubled the size of the United States. To Jefferson, westward expansion was the key to the nation’s health: He believed that a republic depended on an independent, virtuous citizenry for its survival, and that independence and virtue went hand in hand with land ownership, especially the ownership of small farms. (“Those who labor in the earth,” he wrote, “are the chosen people of God.”) In order to provide enough land to sustain this ideal population of virtuous yeomen, the United States would have to continue to expand.
The westward expansion of the United States is one of the defining themes of 19th-century American history, but it is not just the story of Jefferson’s expanding “empire of liberty.” On the contrary, as one historian writes, in the six decades after the Louisiana Purchase, westward expansion “very nearly destroy[ed] the republic.”
More to Explore
PEOPLE AND GROUPS
* Thomas Jefferson
* Meriwether Lewis
* Donner Party
* Daniel Boone
* Davy Crockett
* Andrew Jackson
THEMES
* United States Immigration Before 1965
* Colonial American Culture
EVENTS
* Louisiana Purchase
* Trail of Tears
* War of 1812
* Mexican-American War
* The...

...Just got this back with a favorable grade (98) and felt it may be nice to share. We actually had a while to do this, so it's generally much more polished than a timed essay would be, but with my procrastination and general unwillingness to edit there are still a few uncomfortable sentences and a rather hasty conclusion.
1992 DBQ - To what extent did the natural environment shape the development of the West beyond the Mississippi and the lives of those who lived there? How important were other factors?
Despite having gained an early reputation as a barren desert, the Great West quickly became the dominant target behind the expansionist campaigns of the United States during the 18th century. Swarms of frontiersmen travelled to the West, fueled by a multitude of prospective opportunities. Although artificial factors such as ideological motivations and railroads played an undeniably crucial role in shaping the West, their influence came about only as the result of the inherent economic potential of the regionâ€“through its natural resources such as gold and soilâ€“which, along with the incredibly diverse climate, unarguably dwarfed all else in determining the trend of development in the West.
Just as it had been the old image of the desolate West which had repelled earlier would-be migrants, it was the new image of the fertile West which brought settlers into the region. The discovery of rich soil, grass, and minerals in the West led thousands of...

...The expansion of Western Europe started with the Iberian phase. Spain and Portugal, the two countries of the Iberian Peninsula, had a short-lived yet important role in European expansion. European expansion then turned to Western Europe. Western Europe consists of the Dutch, French, and British. While Western Europe was exploring new worlds overseas, the Russians were expanding westward across all of Eurasia.
Religion played a major role in expansion for both the Portuguese and the Spanish due to their extensive anti-Muslim crusade. Due to the over zealous religious fervor of the Christian Iberians, Christianity and thus the Iberians expanded into parts of western Europe during the crusades as Christians tried to convert the Muslims who were occupying this area. The Iberians did not stop with the European mainland; they were also expanding overseas. They were interested in the fertile land of the Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde. These islands would also prove to be strategic acquisitions for the Iberians, as they would eventually provide the Iberians with bases and ports to be used for commerce. Throughout the 15th century the Spanish and Portuguese had been exploring lands throughout the Atlantic which drove Queen Isabella of Spain to commission Christopher Columbus in 1492 to "Discover and acquire islands and mainland in the...

...Jennifer Lopera
04/19/2013
HIST100-970
WesternExpansion: Texas and the War with Mexico
In the mid-nineteenth century, the United States found expansion necessary. Many factors necessitated the increase the countries size. The population of this young country grew from five million to almost twenty-three million, and by 1850 almost four million people had migrated westward. Two economic depressions, one in 1818 and another in 1839, further provoked migration, leaving the nation searching for hope, prosperity, and a new life in the frontier land. The people of the United States were enticed by inexpensive, vast, plots of land, opportunities to become self-sufficient. The vast lands of the west seemed to hold a chance for individuals to advance themselves and partake in new commercial interests promised in these new western territories.
However, while the Anglo-Saxon’s openly welcomed the opportunity to migrate into western territories, they may not have anticipated the differences they would have assimilating with their new neighbors. The Caucasians who moved to the western frontier, specifically those who found themselves on the border of Mexico, felt superior to their brown-skinned, Catholic neighbors. This racial superiority was motive for the notion of Manifest Destiny, or, a god-given right for those from the United States to usurp land from less-worthy counterparts in order to...

...Territorial ExpansionDBQ Chart – FINAL EXAM
Doc: | What it says: | What it means: | Outside Info: | How it will be used: |
A | -Federalists argue that the Constitution does not touch on territorial expansion at all.-The issue therefore, should not be touched onit will just stir the pot unnecessarily-If issue is dealt with, a war (standing army) will undoubtedly come about.-Since treaty is unconstitutional, territorial expansion is unconstitutional.-Acquiring land requires an army because Louisiana territory borders Spain.-If the country continues to grow, the Eastern states will not be important anymore. | -PEOPLE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM TERRITORIAL EXPANSION.-Talking about the subject will bring up unwanted feelings between the pro &amp; anti–expansionists.-Federalists are strongly against the idea of territorial expansion. -TERRITORIAL EXPANSION= huge hassle that requires getting involved with other countries and their land. | - Death of Federalist Party-Hartford Convention | Against |
B | -Majority of voters above the Maryland, Virginia line voted negative on the declaration of war. - Majority of voters below the Maryland, Virginia line voted affirmative on the declaration of war.-All those in the west voted affirmative in the declaration of war. | - Most of those in the South and West voted for going to war with Great Britain while those North voted against going...